Book Review with Featured Author: Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh

Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh

 

Publisher & Release: St. Martin’s Press, September 28, 2021

Setting:  Small Town USA California

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Length: 334 Pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 3 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

He will risk his life…

The oh-so-proper school teacher, Lily Donovan has learned, the hard way, that men are not to be trusted. Period. Until Levi Roberts, the new cowboy working at her cousin's ranch, tempts her carefully-built resolve and awakens an all-consuming passion she thought lay dormant. But when she discovers his deadly secret, and her own secrets come to light, Lily unwittingly joins the lethal cat and mouse race between Levi and the man he’s been hunting for weeks. 

To save her heart…

Former Ranger Levi Roberts has seen his fair share of deadly trouble during his years as a tough-as-nails operative. The ultimate expert in undercover investigations, he’s been tasked to find a man with a dangerous agenda in town. Routine work has been boring…until he runs into Lily, the prickly school teacher who tempts him like no other. Getting under her skin has been deliciously satisfying for his red-hot desire, but when Lily lands in the hands of the very man he’s been investigating, Levi will have to fight with every ounce of his heart and soul to save her—and to heal the heart he broke.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Renegade-Cowboy-Moving-Violations-Book-ebook/dp/B08R2L8VQN

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/her-renegade-cowboy-lora-leigh/1138461999

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/her-renegade-cowboy

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Lora_Leigh_Her_Renegade_Cowboy?id=HxsQEAAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Her-Renegade-Cowboy-Audiobook/1250821401?qid=1631832661&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=HQTWWD8HT2HF2JC5V5TS

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56408301-her-renegade-cowboy

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/her-renegade-cowboy-by-lora-leigh

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Her Renegade Cowboy has plenty to offer readers of this genre. However, it just didn’t resonate with me until near the end. The pacing is a little slow most of the story, but it gained a lot of speed in the last quarter of the book.

 

Lily Donovan is the female protagonist, and there are several aspects in her character I could identify with, but some of her reactions were beyond what I would expect, considering her back story. With as much trauma she suffered at the sadistic hands of her tormentor, I find it difficult she would be so willing to enter a physical relationship so quickly.

 

Levi Roberts is the hero, and he is appealing and no doubt sexy. He also has a strong protective side to his character, which I enjoyed. Under the circumstances, Levi shows a lot of patience with Lily, even though she is putting her safety in jeopardy on several occasions. 

 

The romance between Lily and Levi was just so sexual from so early in the story. I never really felt any true love between them, even at the end of the story. I was much more interested in the suspenseful part of this tale, which didn’t take off until the last bit of the book. The romance deserves one star, but the action and suspense at the last, is stellar and kept me engaged.

 

If you enjoy highly erotic romances with plenty of heat, then this may appeal to you. Unfortunately, Her Renegade Cowboy didn’t for me. The climax of this story kept it from being a 2-star read for me. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Lora Leigh lives in the rolling hills of Kentucky, often found absorbing the ambience of this peaceful setting. She dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared. Lora's family, and her writing life co-exist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. Surrounded by a menagerie of pets, friends, and a teenage son who keeps her quick wit engaged, Lora's life is filled with joys, aided by her fans whose hearts remind her daily why she writes.

She can often be found daydreaming and plotting and planning with the varied characters that fill her imagination when she isn't planning her flower gardens, watching the horses romp outside her home, or spending time with the family and pets she fills her life with. Writing is her passion, her peace, and her lifeline. She hopes you enjoy the stories, and that you visit her website www.loraleigh.com often for updates and news on characters and upcoming books

 

Social Media:

Website: https://loraleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loraleighauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LoraLeigh_1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lora.leigh/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lora-leigh

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2614.Lora_Leigh

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Ground Sweet as Sugar by Catherine C. Heywood

Ground Sweet as Sugar 

by Catherine C. Heywood

 

 

Publisher & Release: Marals Media, January 19, 2021

Setting:  Late 18^th century, Ireland and West Indies

Genre: Historical Romance

Length: 390 Pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

The unforgettable coming-of-age saga of one girl’s fight for her freedom, her country, and her heart…

1797: After a century of clarifying oppression, Ireland seethes on the brink of rebellion. It waits on one violent tremor—the execution of a seventeen-year-old girl. All Charlotte Dillon wants is to escape. When she slips her fate, she discovers her future lies in the hands of James Blair, a sugar planter with deep ties to her enemies.

Bound to James for seven years, Charlotte must find a way to conceal her true identity and crime, even as they set sail for the West Indies, even as they confront the limits of their endurance, even as they fall in love.

Meanwhile, an ocean away, a rebellion is unfolding and a mystery unraveling that threaten the tender sweetness growing between them. And when the fight comes to her, Charlotte finds herself torn between her cause and her heart.

Sweeping from Ireland’s bleeding battlefields to St. Croix’s burning sugarcane fields, Ground Sweet as Sugar is Book I in an epic saga of power, punishment, and undying love.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Ground-Sweet-Sugar-Catherine-Heywood-ebook/dp/B08NL9PKV4

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ground-sweet-as-sugar-catherine-c-heywood/1138274827

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ground-sweet-as-sugar

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56124632-ground-sweet-as-sugar

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/ground-sweet-as-sugar-by-catherine-c-heywood

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the electronic copy of Ground Sweet as Sugar by Catherine Heywood. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating of this book.

 

In the opening scene of Ground Sweet as Sugar, a seventeen-year-old girl is living through the night before her death as a traitor. Circumstances gives her the chance to escape her punishment, and she becomes a bond servant to a West Indies planter. The action in this novel kept me engaged throughout the story, and I enjoyed that aspect of this adventurous tale. 

 

There were times I was pulled from the story because the author refers to the characters as the planter, the bond servant, the pirate, and that separated me from them. Once a reader knows who’s POV that is narrating, it would be less intrusive for the author to use a pronoun instead. This kept their POVs from becoming as deep as I prefer, so this influenced my rating. 

 

Charlotte Dillon is the heroine of this tale, and she certainly manages to get into a lot of trouble. Her journey is quite a rollercoaster ride, but she’s gutsy and determined, making her an interesting heroine. While I didn’t like some of Charlotte’s decisions, I did enjoy her character. She has several relationships with other male characters, and since this book ends on a cliff hanger, I’m not sure where those relationships are going.

 

I found the Irish rebellion history in this novel fascination, and Ms. Heywood has certainly done her research. This is an intricate part of the plot, so that that’s an important aspect. I also enjoyed the descriptive writing. At times, I became part of the scenes, which is always a benefit.

 

If you enjoy historical novels with plenty of suspense and adventure, then Ground Sweet as Sugar will be an exciting reading experience for you. While there’s much to enjoy in this tale, I don’t plan to read the sequel. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Catherine C. Heywood is an Amazon bestselling author of romantic historical fiction novellas, and a former political communications consultant and speech writer.

Raised in Red Wing, Minnesota, she studied international politics at the University of Edinburgh and has degrees in politics, writing, and communications from the University of St. Thomas and Boston College.

She explored the law and improv before settling on storytelling. Her worst job was scraping year-old tobacco spit off a shoe factory wall. Her best is doing this.

She lives in Western Wisconsin with her husband and sons, and her interests include architecture and design, fashion and food.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.catherinecheywood.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013040313519

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CCHeywoodauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinec.heywood/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/katestcroix/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/catherine-c-heywood

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15521748.Catherine_C_Heywood

 

Book Review: The VIP Doubles Down by Nancy Herkness

The VIP Doubles Down by Nancy Herkness

Publisher & Release: Montlake Romance, April 18, 2017

Time and setting:  Present Day, NYC

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Book Length: 384 pages

Heat Level: 3 Flame

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

In the witty, sizzling finale to award-winning author Nancy Herkness’s Wager of Hearts series, a haunted writer conquers his demons with the help of a feisty muse and a passion that doesn’t play by the book.

Gavin Miller, the billionaire author of a bestselling thriller series, struggles with a grim secret: he hasn’t written a word in more than a year.

Writer’s block is killing his spirit and jeopardizing his contracts with his publisher and his Hollywood producers. Prodded by his agent, Gavin reluctantly agrees to see Allie Nichols, a sassy physical therapist tasked with treating the novelist’s severe neck and shoulder pain—and maybe his writer’s block, too.

The tempestuous Gavin and no-nonsense Allie soon find themselves entangled in a steamy affair that sparks Gavin’s creativity again. But their manipulative ex-lovers and Gavin’s lingering childhood scars threaten their happily ever after. Can Gavin and Allie find their way to love when the stakes are high and the obstacles are overwhelming?

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Doubles-Down-Wager-Hearts-Book-ebook/dp/B01MDS3FN1

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32858494-the-vip-doubles-down

Vikki’s Musings

I have thoroughly enjoyed Wagers of the Heart series by Nancy Herkness. I met Nancy at RWA2015 but had never read any of her books. When I decided to read The CEO Buys In, I fell in love and found the wager between the three men intriguing. Needless to say, I was immediately pulled in. I could not wait for the second book in the series and fortunately, I received an ARC from the publisher for that I as I did for The VIP Doubles Down, thanks go to the publisher. Let me say up front, I would have gladly paid to read both these books!

Allie Nichols’ life has taken a downward turn. She’s out of work because her ex-husband would not leave her alone at the rehabilitation center. When she is offered a chance to help Gavin Miller, her favorite author, she is excited, but it turns out the sessions were his agent’s idea.

Gavin is having the worst case of writer’s block imaginable, and it has caused severe pain in his shoulders. When the physiotherapist his agent hired shows up, he wants nothing to do with her, but the feisty woman convinces him to allow her to use electrical stimulation on him. Although he sends her away after the treatment, within fifteen minutes, his pain is reduced and he calls her back for more sessions.

Imagine his surprise, to discover that not only does she relieve his pain, she stirs his muse. Perhaps he can benefit in more than one way from his time with Allie, and her energetic personality and beauty certainly calls to him on a personal level. When things heat up, he begins to wonder if he just might have found the woman of his dreams.

The VIP Doubles Down grabbed me from the first page and held my attention until the last. Ms. Herkness’ writing style flows smoothly and her pacing is excellent. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of the other characters from the other books in this series. I also loved Gavin’s housekeeper and driver.

Allie’s character has lots of fire to match her red hair. Her determination to hang in there when Gavin practically closes the door in her face had me rooting for her from the start. I loved her down-home West Virginia attitude. Her genuine desire to help others, even her deplorable ex-husband touched my heart. Although, her lack of guile and inability to see through his manipulations gives her plenty of grief later in the story.

Gavin’s character is tormented by more than writer’s block and physical pain. His late father’s refusal to see his success eats at him, and the abandonment he feels from his mother’s desertion when he was a child, keeps him locked in the past. While normally his cantankerous behavior would be a turn-off, the lost little boy he keeps hidden, called to me, so I fell in love with him anyway.

I loved The VIP Doubles Down, and I will miss these characters, but If I know Ms. Herkness, she will manage to give them cameo appearances in her future books. If you like emotionally-charged romances with complicated characters, then you will love this book. While this one is easily read without reading the other books in this series, I do recommend reading them as well. Happy reading!

Snowed In by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Publisher & Release: MacMillan, December 6, 2016

Time and setting:  Present Day,

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Holiday

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Marissa Clarke was going to murder someone. And that someone was her former sorority sister—now former friend—who had just kicked her out of her own hotel room…in the middle of the night…at their friend's wedding…for some hanky-panky with an old fling. So much for sisterhood. With no room in the inn and no place to stay, she's forced to accept help from the last person she ever wanted to spend the night with again: Scott, devilishly handsome, smart, and her ex-fiance's ex-best man.

Scott Parker has loved Marissa since the first day he bumped into her freshman year of college. Only he'd never been able to tell her. After all, you didn't just grab your best friend's girlfriend, kiss her and tell her she was the One for you, no matter how often he'd dreamed about it. Now, years later, Marissa is single and, in a moment of pure luck, staying at his cabin. When a winter storm blocks the roads and snows the two of them in, Scott is determined to make Marissa see there can be more between them than a shared history...if only she'll let him.

Buy Link:

https://smile.amazon.com/Snowed-More-Friends-Jenna-Bayley-Burke-ebook/dp/B01JGMQDWQ

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31310473-snowed-in

Vikki’s Musings

While browsing Christmas titles on Net-Galley, I came across Snowed In. The book description sounded great, so I decided to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I must say up front, Snowed In was not what I expected. Nowhere in the description does it state it is erotic, that took me completely by surprise. While I do at times read erotic romances, I like to know before I start reading that it is going to have lots of sexual scenes in it, and this one is full of them.

While this is a cute read, it’s a bit light on story. I did not feel that I truly got to know each character. Personally, I like more depth and emotion than what I found in this book. Part of the problem is that for a good portion of the story, there is only the hero and heroine because they are caught in the snow storm. I guess they did not have anything else to do, but have sex.

When Marissa leaves and goes home, I finally get a better picture for her unreasonable desire to never fall in love and why she is so mistrusting. Again, I would have liked more depth from her character.

Scott, the hero is a bit less complicated. He comes from a large, loving family and does not have any baggage from his past. It is easy to figure out his goals, motivation and fairly non-existent conflict. He is a likable hero, and since he wanted the girl, then I wanted him to get her.

Nonetheless, this story does have a great ending, and I’m glad I had a chance to read it. If you’re looking for a Christmas story to while away a few hours, then this may work for you. Happy reading!

Book Review: Fierce Dancer by Liza Street

Fierce Dancer by Liza Street

Publisher & Release: Self-published, September 7, 2016

Time and setting: Present Day, Nevada

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Paranormal

Length:  63 pages

Heat Level: 3 Flames

Rating: 4.25 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Emma Koons had been promised a spot in a Nevada ballet company, but after making a poor dating choice she’s out on her can, with no good work prospects. Now she dances in the Lollipop Lounge. It’s a far cry from ballet, but it keeps her body toned and ready for the day she might be able to audition again.

Quentin Armstrong is a loner mountain lion shifter with a yearning to be a part of something bigger. When the Fourniers call him for a favor, he accepts, hardly expecting to fall in love with the woman they send him to find. The last thing he wants to do is expose Emma to the dangers of his shifter world, but soon he finds himself fighting not only to keep her heart but to save her life.

Content warning: This sexy shapeshifter novelette includes a happily-ever-after as well as explicit love scenes and naughty language. It is intended for adults.

Buy Links:

https://smile.amazon.com/Fierce-Dancer-Sierra-Pride-Book-ebook/dp/B01KJ6HOWG

Add to Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31217644-fierce-dancer

Vikki’s Musings

Liza Street is a new-to-me author. I received a request from her to read Fierce Dancer in exchange for an honest review. I do not tend to read many shifter novels, but this one is short, so I decided to give it a read. I am glad I did.

Ms. Street’s writing style flows smoothly, her plot is well thought out, and her pacing is great. I became engaged from the first page and remained that way until the end of the book. Her writing is descriptive without going too far, allowing me to visualize the setting and use my imagination.

Emma is a great heroine, and I fell in love with her from the start. Although she’d made a bad decision that has lasting consequences, she pulls herself up by her boot straps and goes on. While dancing in a strip club is not ideal, the money is good and the work keeps her body toned and ready if a chance to audition for another ballet company comes along. She’s very creative, and her quick mind helps when she is in a perilous situation.

Quentin is also a fantastic hero. Life dealt him a very poor deck of cards when he was only fifteen, and he has had to fend for himself ever since. For a mountain lion shifter, a pride is desperately needed, but he does not have one, so he drifts from place to place. Although all he is supposed to do is deliver a message to Emma, the attraction between them is so combustible, he cannot leave her alone.

The chemistry between Emma and Quentin sizzles, but what I liked even most is the emotional feelings they quickly develop for each other. For such a short book, Ms. Street does an excellent job with making their insta-love believable.

If you are looking for a short read with plenty of great action and suspense and a fantastic romance thrown in, then you will love Fierce Dancer as much as I did. I will probably go back and read the other books in this series. Also, I want to mention, this book has a stunning cover. Happy reading!